The Wine Commonsewer™

This Means War, Trump

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

TWC was in Lost Wages for Trump's recent speech at Freedom Fest. I was really there because Mrs TWC was speaking at the conference. One of the many perks of being married to her is the opportunity to tag along on these business trips. Trump was a last minute addition and I am certain that the anticipated publicity was the grease on both ends.

The room was SRO and the back wall was stacked with media cameras. Everybody from Telemundo to the three majors. There was some scattered booing, considerably more polite applause, and more Trumpkins showing their love than I would have thought.

Frankly, I expected more heckling and that's why we stayed. In the end, that's an hour I'm not getting back and there was no wine to get through it with. I've been critical of Donald Trump on Facebook and elsewhere ever since. And now, it seems that Trump has decided to strike back.

Here's an earnest Donald Trump.....

And a protester.....

Trump ain't much of a conservative, neither.

As Always,

TWC's California Ballot Proposal Voter Guide

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

30) NO. It replaces money in the general fund that Moonbeam moved elsewhere. There is NO NEW MONEY FOR SCHOOLS in this proposal. 

31) I Don't Care if the state budget is a two year or one year budget, those boneheads will screw it up.

2) YES. Public employee unions have pretty much destroyed this state. Get them out of politics.

33) YES Allows good driver discounts to apply when you change car insurance providers.

34) YES Gets rid of the death penalty. We spend billions of dollars on unending appeals and never execute anyone. Waste of money. Let's stop the charade.

35) NO. Human trafficking is awful. It is also already illegal. This is a basket of worms and won't help.

36) YES. Modifies Three Strikes to apply to violent felonies not shoplifting.

37) NO. Another basket of worms. Pragmatically, the GMO labeling will end up having the same effect as these Prop 65 signs do:

38) NO. We spend over $300,000.00 per classroom each year on education, yet teachers and parents are buying crayons and copy paper at Staples so the kids can have classroom supplies. Half the money spent on education goes to administrative costs. The schools don't need more money, they need to stop flushing money down the toilet.

SIDEBAR: Munger's ballot measure (38) would raise more money than Moonbeam's Prop 30 and put it ALL in the classroom. Ask yourselves why the teacher unions support Prop 30. Hint: It ain't about the kids.  

39. NO. Always vote no on tax increases. If enacted, the higher taxes will be used to fund new, Solyndra type alternative energy projects and NOT to reduce the deficit or to cover regular state spending.

40. YES. Not that redistricting will help much. But maybe.

Vote Early. Vote Often. 

As Ever,

TWC

Ron Paul Wins Another Straw Poll Mrs TWC on Education Reform Spoiled Wine

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Say what you want about Ron Paul but The Man can turn out a crowd. When we rolled up to valet parking at the Marriott in LA, both sides of Olympic Boulevard were teeming with Paulistas waiting for his imminent arrival. Bullhorn Man crackled a warning: Two Minutes! The boisterous crowd erupted into cheers. Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Bullhorn Man was a bit optimistic on the timing of the arrival.

Paulistas From Here to Nokia Theater, Which Hosts the Emmys Tonight

Mrs TWC had a 9:00 AM call time for her panel on education reform, so she and moi weren't there to greet Ron Paul anyway. The California GOP convention scheduled Ron Paul's speech in the same time slot as the education reform panel, so there was some concern that his popularity would keep people away.

A half hour later, wild raucous cheering exploded through the hotel. Clearly, the Grand Entrance was under way. The cacohony momentarily interrupted our panel, which was upstairs on the second floor behind closed doors. Though nobody said his name, everybody knew, and most people smiled.

Mrs TWC

And who did Marriott hire to come up with the hideous yet unending circles? Pretty stoopid selection if your goal is to encourange an audience to focus on the speaker. 

There may have been a few no-shows to the education panel, but it was a good crowd and included a couple of obvious teacher's union plants. Those guys were good on drama but they really need the other kind of drama lessons. After blathering inteminably, one shill demanded that panelist Ben Chavis pipe down and hear her out.....I listened to you! Now it's my turn!  Really?

Straw Poll results here. Yes I know Straw Polls don't translate well into electoral victories. Yes I know that Paulistas are enthusiastic, young, mostly pretty tech savvy, and, more importantly, they show up and vote.

And the spoiled wine? Later several of us, including Ben Boychuk and Larry Sand, adjourned for lunch where TWC was served a glass of Franciscan Merlot that had obviously been stored uncorked next to the stove for a week. At twelve bucks a glass, the bartender should not be serving wine that has turned. And room temperature isn't 85 degrees. This happens way, way too frequently. Props to the waiter for cheerfully swapping out the spoiled wine for a fresh glass from a fresh bottle. If in doubt, Gentle Reader, always send it back. Life is too short to drink bad wine.

We report. You decipher.

As Always,

TWC